You will go to a Testing Center at one of the three campuses, or you can schedule an appointment to take it at Scott Air Force Base or the East St. Louis Community College Center. See the Testing Center page for details.

More resources from the Success Center

The reading portion of COMPASS presents passages of text followed by a series of questions to test your understanding of the text.

You cannot go back to a passage once all questions for that passage have been answered. The following strategies can help.

Spot reading

Scan the passage. Look at the sub-headings to see what the sub-topics are. If there are no sub-headings, you can look at the introduction to get a sense of the author's purpose. You can also check the conclusion which may be a summary of main ideas. In a passage of several paragraphs, you can look at the opening sentences of each paragraph. Ultimately, you will need to read the entire passage with care.

Signal words/phrases

Transitions-whether they are words, phrases or sentences-at the beginning and end of each paragraph can be telling. So can words within the paragraph such as however or on the other hand, which show a contrast or switch in direction. The words therefore, so, or consequently show results or relationships; the words likewise and also show additional support for a point.

Background knowledge

Pause to think about what you already may know about this topic. If you know something about the topic, you may read with greater purpose.

Read questions first

Sometimes it's helpful to read the questions first, then the passage, so you know what to look for as you read.

Visual cues

Use visual elements to plan and predict. For example, bold-faced words and bulleted lists can help you determine the most important elements of the text. The author wanted to emphasize or highlight those ideas, so they must be important.

Rereading

Read the passage two or three times. Good readers return to challenging passages to squeeze out more meaning each time.

Context clues

Rereading the passage may allow you to figure out the approximate meaning of words that are unfamiliar. Sometimes a word's meaning becomes clearer when you consider the ideas being discussed and the supporting examples or details found in the sentence or nearby sentences.

Video guidance

Compass Reading Preparation - This video from another educational institution explains how to use the process of elimination and how to answer the main idea question.